How to Use Ajwain Leaves Best | Ajwain Leaves Benefits and Side Effects

Have you ever wondered how our grandmothers managed common health issues without any use of modern medicine? Today I want to bring to you one such traditional wisdom which is easily adaptable by busy moms using this easy to grow at home herb. And why should you transform your balcony or backyard into a health-boosting herb and food garden? To know the answer watch until the mull point of the episode. The herb that we are referring to is this plant. Now this is commonly known in Hindi as ajwain leaf. The aroma of this leaf is very similar to ajwain or caraway seeds but believe it or not the ajwain or caraway seeds does not come from this plant. This plant is believed to be native to India, Arabia and Africa. The scientific name of this plant is Coleus aromaticus. This name comes from the Greek word coleus meaning sheep and aromaticus means fragrant. The scientific synonym for this plant is coleus ambonicus. Ambonicus refers to the ambon island in Indonesia where a Portuguese missionary who was also a botanist identified this plant and gave it this name. Interesting isn't it? But believe it or not there are some more fun facts related to this plant's name. Check this out. In different parts of our country people call this plant by various names. It is karpooravalli or omavalli in Tamilnadu, panikurkan in Kerala, in Hindi it is called ajwain kapadda and in Gujarat and Maharashtra they just call it ovapan. So what about its English names? Here's where it gets really interesting. Some common English names for this plant are Indian borage, Mexican mint, Cuban oregano, French thyme or Spanish thyme but guess what the western country names don't actually match where the plant comes from. Does it? Isn't it funny how plants can get such misleading names? So here's my karpooravalli plant growing vigorously with the malabar spinach plant. Let's harvest the karpooravalli leaves. So I'm going to be harvesting the leaves and the stem. So I'm going to be cutting the small portion. You can cut depending on your requirement. So the stem is very tender so these also can be chopped and used. So here I have washed this twig of the karpooravalli leaves. So let me separate the leaves and then we will chop the leaf and the stem into fine pieces. See it's very tender. Now we'll chop all this together. So here let me first chop the leaves finely, strong aroma and then we'll chop these stems also. We'll chop these stems very finely, tiny pieces, really fleshy and tender. So now just mix this up, the stem and the leaves. So in both the recipes we are going to be using the chopped leaves and stem. Now that we have uncovered the fascinating history and names of the ajwain leaf plant, let us look at the incredible nutritional profile of this leaf. This little leaf is packed with such goodness that it can make a big difference to your family's health. Let us see how. Let us start with minerals in ajwain leaf. The plant has a significant level of potassium, calcium and magnesium. Besides in lower levels there is phosphorus, sodium, iron, zinc, manganese, selenium and more. Then what about vitamins? Ajwain leaves are particularly rich in vitamin A, essential for eye health and skin vitality. Next in line is vitamin C which is great for boosting immunity. You will also find a range of B-complex vitamins in smaller proportions. What makes ajwain leaves truly special are their wide range of bioactive compounds that act as powerful antioxidants. Two key players here are thymol and carvacrol. These compounds are responsible for the plant's strong aroma and offer many of its health benefits. What about side effects? Nothing significant has been noted other than a slight burning sensation in the throat if you are having the leaf juice directly. But in the recipes that I will show you, you don't have to worry about this either. Keep watching. We will explore some simple delicious ways to use ajwain leaves. The two methods that I am going to showing you are particularly useful for busy moms and even picky eaters will love eating it. In India, ajwain leaves have been used in various ways across generations. But the most popular recipe is to use ajwain leaf to make leaf pakodas similar to the chilli bajji recipe shown here. But deep frying isn't one of the healthiest ways to use this precious herb. Another excellent way to use the ajwain leaf is to make the south Indian chutney preparation called togayal. You can have an idea of it by looking at this perendai togayal recipe. But what I have for you today is even more simple. These two super simple methods will help you to add ajwain very easily into your daily routine. Let's start with an easy and quick morning ritual. It's very simple. Come join me. Now here this is about one tablespoon of chopped karpooravalli leaves and this quantity is just right for one person. So all we have to do here is for the first recipe we are adding one teaspoon of honey to this. Mix it well. Soak it for about five minutes. So my chopped ajwain leaves have been soaked in honey for almost five minutes. And let me have this and it's very important to have this first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. The honey really makes it very tasty as well as honey has its own health benefits. It's got that punch. So how does this unique combination of nutrients translate into health benefits for you and your family? Let's break it down. First, let's look at how ajwain leaves can help with common infections. Remember those times when your little one had a stubborn cough or fever? Well, ajwain leaves might just be your new first in line go-to remedy. This plant has antimicrobial, antiviral and antifungal properties. A decoction of ajwain leaves or leaf juice with honey has been traditionally used to treat sore throat, stuffy nose, chest congestion, whooping cough, sinusitis and even asthma. It also has anti-parasite properties that make these leaves useful against internal parasites like intestinal worms. But the benefits don't stop at fighting infections. Ajwain leaves can be your ally in managing long-term health and lifestyle diseases too. Check out this long list of its potential impacts. Protects against internal inflammations and can heal skin inflammations due to insect bites, psoriasis or eczema and helps heal wounds too. May help lower sugar level and improve functioning of pancreas. Helps increased flow of urine. Helps reduce buildup of calcium oxalate in the kidneys. Reduces levels of cholesterol and triglycerides too. Helps prevent heart disease by reducing aggregation of platelets. May help reduce risk of convulsions. Can help reduce gas formation. Improves the gut microbiome and aids digestion. Studies also show anti-cancer effects of ajwain leaf. If you are breastfeeding a baby, here is something you will like. These leaves have been consumed as breast milk stimulants too. So do you remember the health benefits that we looked at? And when you eat this on an empty stomach in the morning, here is the crux. It helps boost your digestive system. Helps boost your immunity and has cardio protective effects. Has anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties too. So now the second recipe has just four ingredients. One tablespoon of chopped ajwain leaves. One tablespoon of cooked rice. Here I have taken brown rice which is much more healthier and it's best to use brown rice rather than white rice. But it's your choice. A pinch of salt and about half a teaspoon or a few drops of ghee or clarified butter. Vegans can use a few drops of sesame oil. So here to the ghee I am adding this cooked rice, adding these chopped karpooravalli or ajwain leaves and the salt. Use your hands to nicely mix it and that's it. So our digestion boosting lunch starter is ready. So here's my digestion boosting lunch starter. Have it immediately after the salad before the main course. It's so yummy and the leaves have a unique flavor which is very similar to oregano which even your kids will enjoy. And isn't this a very wonderful way to add the digestive benefits into your daily diet. So is this not indisputably quick and simple. Let me finish this first. But don't stop there. Ajwain leaves can be used in many many innovative ways. For example you can add the chopped ajwain leaves to your salads. You can even add the chopped leaves as a topping for your pizza which gives you an oregano like effect. And you can also steep the leaves into hot water for a wonderful tea. Now that you have gained so much knowledge about the importance of ajwain plant, are you inspired to grow it in your own homes? You don't actually need a lot of space. You probably just need a small little pot, a good amount of sunlight and some rich nutritious soil. Let me show you how to grow this plant. Growing this is very simple. You just need a twig with a few leaves which is about five to six inches long. Now I had taken this particular twig and kept it in water for a week and now you can see the roots developing. It's really simple. So you just have to take this twig, even if it doesn't have any roots, you just plant it into the soil. You don't even have to water it very profusely. It can thrive in humid conditions with even partial sunlight. This is a very low maintenance plant. It just needs some nutritious soil. Once in a while, maybe once a month, you could even add a little compost to the soil. If you're finding it difficult to source this plant, we are giving an Amazon link in the description box of the video and you could use that link to order your ajwain leaf plant. Where to grow such plants? Where there is a will, there is a way. So even if you have a small balcony space in your apartment or a small backyard, if you have an individual house, it's extremely simple to grow this plant. Now it is a decision for you to take whether you want to use that space to grow flowers, vegetables, herbs or other leafy greens. Let's mull over this. So does your balcony garden or backyard garden necessarily be rich in colorful flowers? But if it turns out to be an edible garden, can you imagine that many of your food items are chemical free? So should you focus on growing vegetables or leafy greens or herbs? If you ask me with limited space, I think you should focus on leafy greens and herbs. Here's why. Now to give you a simple example, you have two similar pots of the same dimensions. In one, you can grow a tomato plant or a lady's finger and in the other, a leafy green plant. When you look at the harvest, you are able to harvest more of the leafy greens than a few lady's finger or tomatoes. Isn't that interesting? Second, consider this. It's very easy to go to your vegetable vendor to source your okra or tomatoes or any other vegetable, but which vegetable vendor will give you herbs like ajwain leaves or even for that matter harjod. So isn't it important that you include these in your balcony gardens? Even among leafy greens, you should try and grow those leafy greens which are not easily available with the vegetable vendor. For example, you could grow the malabar spinach instead of regular spinach, which is easily available at your grocers. One more tip, choose greens or herbs that give you multiple harvests rather than a one-time harvest. Let me close this video with a view of my tiny balcony garden. So don't these plants look so aesthetic besides giving us the food value? Thus, a well-planned garden need not necessarily be made up of ornamentals, but they can add value to our lives in terms of our health too. So are you ready to transform your balcony garden into a mini health garden? You could start with growing a simple plant like ajwain. Is it inspiring enough? You will be indeed surprised to see how much can grow in so little of space. What do you think? Do you have any other suggestions of other greens or herbs that could grow in my balcony garden? Do leave your suggestions in the comment box below. And don't forget to watch this video on aloe vera that is also growing in my balcony.